Global vegetable oil processor Apical is partnering with sustainable energy producer Cepsa to construct what will be the largest second-generation biofuel production facility in southern Europe. Second-generation fuels are those derived from plant wastes and byproducts rather than purpose-grown crops.
The plant, with a price tag of up to €1 billion, will be built at Cepsa’s La Rábida Energy Park in the Spanish province of Huelva. Scheduled to be operational in the first half of 2026, it will have a projected annual output of up to 500,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and/or renewable diesel fuel.
With refineries in China, Indonesia, and Spain, as well as processing and distribution operations in the U.S., Brazil, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, the Middle East, and Africa, Singapore-based Apical—through its Bio-Oils subsidiary—will provide feedstock in the form of agricultural waste and residue as part of a global long-term agreement. This marks the company's first foray into the SAF market.
“Apical’s ample supply of high-quality, second-generation feedstock is key to ensuring that the new joint venture delivers on our shared vision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across air, sea, and land transport,” said Apical president Dato’ Yeo How. “The wider use of SAF and renewable diesel provides significant benefits on a global scale, both in terms of mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting sustainable economic growth.”